Music Tunes
by volnaib
Summary: What has music to do with all that Keller's depressed stuff? Find out here! P. S. Needs beta-reading. A lot of it.


**A/N**: Well, actually it's "Music do" (I don't know for real, some sites keep saying it's still "Music tunes"). It's a line from a famous KORN song named "Twisted Transistor" (which sometimes helps me to concentrate and put myself together when I feel bad - I mean, physically, unhealthy; so say hooray for KoRn!).

HOORAY!

Post-SC (Second Coming) story. So... yeah, there's lack of hands in this one-shot =(

Electrokinetic Anna Vance aka Anchorite is an OC created by my friend Doomie from comicsuniverse.

And this fic totally needs beta-reading, but I don't know how to make a request O_o So, please remember that English is SO NOT my native language. Thanks a lot to AKissAndAGunshot for fixing mistakes!

…

"Hi there," she says as she is entering his room. He is lying on his bed, eyes attached to the ceiling like all the wonders of the whole world can be found there.

"Go away," he answers. His face does not express any emotion.

"Oh, I see, it's like your 'Go-to-hell-you-retards' mode is on, right?"

"I asked you. Go away, _please_. I don't want to talk to anyone, or 'go out and make some fun', or do all that $h!t everyone wants me to do. I don't need company. I don't need anything. Please, just leave me alone. Thanks for the concern, really appreciated, thanks again, goodbye."

"Wow, that was _so_ impressive. Such a speech, you just need to be on TV and if everyone listens to you then there will be no desperation and deceases in the whole universe. We'll call you Your Highest Awesomeness then."

"Oh, come on."

"Or maybe Your All Possible And Incredible Honesty?"

"Listen, I'm not-"

"Okay, okay, no offence."

"..."

"...just Your Majesty, no special status... Argh!" and a pillow hits her in the head. "You jerk!" Pillow flies in the opposite direction and meets its target. Its target tries to seem irritated, but can't help smiling.

"So?"

"So you've got a choice. You go with me right now to a special place full of ancient magic and ghosts of Frost's perfume or I'll choke you. With that pillow of yours."

"You wouldn't-"

"Wanna try?" she asks with an evil smile.

"Uh," he frowns. "Nope." He smiles slightly. She looks so amusing.

"Correct answer! Congratulations!" She claps her hands. "Now you get outta your warm and very comfortable (I believe) bed and don't forget to take a jacket or something. We're going out and there will be no single I'm Freezing Please Let Me Go Home Bureau."

"Oh, I'm trembling with indescribable fear. May I take my Teddy Bear with me?"

"You have one?"

"No. Unfortunately, my parents carried him away when they moved to another place which I'm not aware where is."

"So the conversation is over! Get dressed, young man, we're going to rock that goddamn world! Or part of it. Or we'll do something else which I don't want to tell you about right now. Hurry up!"

"I hope you don't mean se-"

"PERVERT! Of course not. You ready?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm-"

"Then FLY, little bird, fly!" she cries loudly while giving him a huge impetus, so he is actually flying out of his room.

"Vance, you're such piece of crap," he mutters, shaking off.

"Glad you've finally noticed that," she grinns, taking him by his arm. "Let's go, it's time to live life."

"Yadda-yadda, blah-blah-blah," he sighes.

…

"Oh, come on. So it's a date. Or you're going to 'shish kebab' me. Or-"

"Shush! Don't make yourself look like an idiot, Keller."

"Do I?"

"Yep. Definitely. Have a seat already."

Finally he flops down to a some log of those which are placed around the campfire. He thinks he's just made a big mistake. He doesn't want to be here. He wants to go back to his room and continue suffering his desperate angsty condition, that's all he needs. To feel stable; no matter, generally speaking, what sorts of emotions run over his head and body. Just know the door is locked and watch those odd words that the moon is writing all over his ceiling... yes, that's what-

"TA-DAAA!" Anna's exultant exclamation (like she had just found something missing for years) pulled him out of his thoughts, and when he finally realized _what_ was it in her hand...

"Oh noes, I need to get here my Guitar Hero set first, I'll be back in, uh, thirty seconds!" he jumped to his feet, having a strong wish to spend his last days and - at last - die in face-to-his-pillow position. Maybe a choking was an option...

"SIT DOWN!" voice sounding like a thunder commanded. Julian obeyed.

"Anna, maybe you just haven't noticed, but I'm a little _short-handed_ right now," he said, still annoyed, but in a smaller voice.

"Julian, maybe you haven't noticed, but I've been there and I've seen all the crap going on and you're apparently not the only one who is suffering PTSD here. And I've lost my hand once, it was, hmmm, lemme think... it was the same time I've killed a whole bunch of innocent people whom I certainly didn't want to die, but I've killed them anyways, they were crying, and shaking, and burning, and the smell, smell of burning flesh, and that blue-haired mutant lady abducted along with me who was screaming _so_ hard (I believe it's her mutant power) that the sound corrupted all the dying people's eardrums and then the walls and the ground started to, you know, shake and collapse, like it's an earthquake (I believe it's still _her_ mutant power), and then she hits me in the head with some metal stick or something, and when I'm awake there's Laura who is certainly trying to kill me off... I've changed the subject somehow, I suppose. We were talking about what do _I_ have (yes, it's a guitar and some fingers) and what do _you_ have. Any suggestions?"

"Hmm... like legs? - at least, he sounds calm."

"M-maybe... but that will not do."

"How did you-" he starts to roll his eyes.

"Go on. What else."

"Stomach, shoulders, head, arms... should I name all the parts of my body? Like, bu-"

"Throat."

"What?"

"You. Have. A throat."

"Oh God, really? So that's your advice, then? To cut my throat? Thanks, that was really helping, but I find choking more appropriate."

"Sigh. God, Hellion, it's so not a Suicide Class here. Listen," Anna runs her fingers over the strings, warming _drunn_ is filling the air. Then she starts to pluck strings one by one, and while Julian is thinking that he recognizes the melody...

"I'm tired of being what you want me to be, feeling so faithless, lost under the surface..." Anna's voice now is almost unrecognizable, so soft and full of sadness.

She is really very good at that music thing; she still doesn't look as confident and prepossessive as Dazzler, but it's not such a problem. Anna Vance (also known as Anchorite) was some sort of metalhead, rocker and lover of electronic and classic music, all combined, mixed and put in one tough but still very nice girl. No one cared that she didn't _look_ prepossessive; she was harsh sometimes, she laughed out loud sometimes, she cried sometimes, God, she even killed people (two Purifiers when they attacked the school for the second time, and those innocents, by an accident of some sort), but hell swallows the one who says she was not prepossessive. Because she was. Was it something in her speaking manner or in her words? Julian just didn't know. As now he doesn't know why is he sitting here, listening and finding himself singing quitely, along with Anna.

"Kellie, rock it!" suddenly she blurts out.

"...but I know, you were just like me with someone disappointed in you..." he cries, not believing that he is doing it for real. Cheers of approval coming from Vance.

He is a bit confused, but all of it seems like fun, maybe, so they continue to sing along. Julian raises his voice pure automatically as Anna raises hers; and when the boy starts to repeat first lines of chorus, the girl repeats some lines from the verse and then starts to make queer sounds with her voice, pull guitar strings with _both_ her hands, placing them at the finger-board area, and stomps. She even manages to make some sort of drum-roll with her right hand hitting sounding board at the same time as she is doing her wizardry to the strings. When it's finally over, she looks a bit exhausted, but asks, smiling:

"So how's it?"

"Ugh... Wow. Annie, I just... you're gonna be a rockstar, really. It was very, very impressive."

"So we consider the booze question is solved," Ann says, extinguishing the fire and moving away, her guitar already in the case hanging on her back.

"What? What booze?"

"The beer you're bringing tomorrow evening," she says, smiling, already on her way to the dorms. He arches his eyebrow but still doesn't argue. That _has_ to be a good sign, she tries to convince herself, which is so hard to do. _God, please._

…

"What was all that throat stuff about? - asks Julian, sitting on the log and trying to open a beer can with his telekinesis."

"Hey, let me try," Anna takes the can. "The Great Green Tuborg Explosion is not such a funny thing for me when there're only two bottles. - PSSSSSSHHHHT! - Oh, hell. What have you done to them? Did you, I dunno, wash them in the machine or something? Okay, okay, don't worry. Just kidding."

"So?"

"Didn't you understand? I just meant that you have a throat and you can sing. You do it pretty well, I must admit. I even find it amusing in some way. I've never heard you singing before, and I suppose you didn't take lessons or something-"

"And?"

"Ugh. You just do it the different way. Not like others. And it's good. It's very good. Can't say what's the difference yet, but I definitely like it. So. I'm the guitar and back vocal. You? Lead vocal and kind of a frontman, see?"

"No, wait. I'm not participating in some band sessions. No, count me out."

"GODDAMN YOU, KELLER! We're not going to make Simon and Garfunkel or Rodrigo y Gabriela stuff here. We sing for ourselves, just for fun, just for beer, just for making a small and loud secret, $#%^!"

"Very entertaining."

"Yesterday there were no complains, so shut up, take the sheet of paper and try to remember the damn song!"

"Okay, I'll do it, just don't scream that much," Keller's face was full of misery.

"Just don't make me," giggled Anna.

"Tan-dan, drak-tak-tak-tan-dan, drak-tar-ta-tan-dan, drak-tan-dan," said the guitar.

"Sounds like Blur," said Julian.

"I'll choke you," said Anna. Though she was smiling.

"Load up on guns and bring your friends, it's fun to lose and to pretend," they started with the voices that could have made one doubt there were only _two_ beer cans. They really looked like they were completely drunk. It even made it better - it was much funnier to _pretend_ they were drunk. To feel free without thinking that you've done something wrong. And you won't have a headache tomorrow. And feel like an idiot finding yourself sleeping in _someone's_ bed, et cetera.

God bless Curt Cobain (though his fans believe he's in Hell now, but who knows).

They sang along about how 'it's less dangerous' when the lights are out and felt quite nice near the little campfire which was big enough to warm hands and/or legs and wasn't huge enough to spoil all the 'dark and dirty thing'. Little perfect campfire in a world so big and cold and full of cruelty. It was sad a bit to 'kill' it, but guys promised it they will return tomorrow.

Julian saw a movement somewhere in the nearest rocks while Vance was collecting her guitar. Ann said something about 'There's always a bunch of people hanging around and waiting for some sight, uh, I mean show'. He looked around for several times and didn't notice anything since, but an awkward feeling was still disturbing him.

That shadow was still in his head when he finally went to sleep.

…

The next day was not that good; it was raining like hell, even considering there's no rain in hell... Still it was raining all the day and big water drops have been hitting the ground like they were some kind of little ballistic missiles. And there was thunder and wild wind. And Keller himself looked like a black cloud.

X-kids were almost all in some drawing-room; most of them were playing some card game, some were tormenting Monopoly set; Victor was the only one playing billiards.

When Julian entered the room all the people suddenly stopped talking. He frowned.

"Hey, Keller. Wanna play cards with us?" asked Nori light-heartedly.

"No, thanks," muttered Julian, heading to the other exit.

"Thank God," she sighed with relief, smiling again.

"Nori, please stop it," Cessily exclaimed.

"Cess, don't worry. I don't give a $h!t about what Ashida's saying. I never do," his voice was already fading away as he escaped the room.

"Hey, look who's darker than Dark Funeral here!" Anna was shining like mid-summer sun. "Jules, I adore your angsty look, but black metal is just not yours. C'mon, I've got something."

Vance took the boy by arm and dragged him into her and Laura's room.

"Never mind the guys, they won't hear. The room is almost soundproof."

"You say it like we're going to have se-"

"Oh, shut up already with that! Better have a seat and take that," she held him out some sheet of paper. "The words."

"Okay, - said Julian in small voice. He knew that song. _Drunnnnn..._

"It's Nickelback, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh. Nice thing," and there she started. Her voice was different again "now low and drawling; it seemed like she was swallowing all the matter around her and then reproducing it, giving things the whole new meaning. He closed his eyes. It felt so warm and powerful at the same time..."

"_If today was your last day,_

_And tomorrow was too late._

_Could you say goodbye to yesterday?_

_Would you live each moment like your last?_

_Leave old pictures in the past,_

_Donate every dime you have?_

_If today was your last day.._."

They both were singing in small voice, but Julian felt like something was just tearing him apart from the inside. And when he sang the lines- these exact lines...

"_Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?_

_Swear up and down to God above,_

_That you'd finally fall in love..._"

...it was like burning in some fire; a little painful, but very warm, and a lot of memories passed by; and when he finally opened his eyes...

"What are _you_ doing here?"

"Hey, Big Boss, we're sharing the same room if you've forgotten," Anna frowned. "Laura is my roommate. You can't just throw her out her own room."

"Whatever. I'm already leaving. Need a sleep now," Keller stormed off the room. "Good night, girls."

"I am sorry," said Laura quietly.

"Never mind," said both Julian and Anna simultaneously.

Laura still felt uncomfortable.

…

"Still raining," Vance pointed out. "Two days already. Room sessions again?"

"I don't care," Keller seemed bored. "But these imbeciles savour the hot news: Vance and Keller got laid!"

"WHUH?... Oh, HAHAHAAA!" Ann burst into laughter. "Really, so funny! You and I, uh... Hahaha!"

"Hey, Keller! Have you two already come up with the kids' names?" Santo cried as he entered dining-room they were eating in.

"Screw you," barked Julian.

"Oh, me, me, please ask _me_!" Ashida now. How delightful. "Phobos and Deimos, isn't it?"

"Yeah, sure thing!" laughed Annie, suddenly giving Julian a kiss on the cheek; he jerked away immediately.

"Ewww, get a room!" said Rockslide with disgust.

"Thanks, Ann. That was really sweet," Julian wanted to kill her now. With his fork. He doesn't need hands, his TK works just fine since he has been improving the level of control for a month already. Just stab her back and that's all...

"At least they don't know what we're doing _for real_, right?"

"Oh."

He suddenly realized that it would be better if guys like Santo kept thinking that he is hanging with girls than found out about their little band secret.

"Meet you at 9 AM today, Kellsie!" Ann's cry pulled him out of his thoughts. She was already late for her English class.

"That's nasty," someone said from the behind. Keller said nothing, just sighed.

It has just stopped raining outside.

9.15 AM. They were sitting on the wet log in front of small smoky campfire. It was cold - wind was freezing the air filled with tons of water vapor. But all the kids were somewhere inside the buildings and there was no rain, so Anna insisted on having an open air 'band session'.

"Vancie, dear, I feel like I'm drowning in the air. Like, sinking. Suffocating. And the log is completely wet."

"Please, Kellie, dear, stop whining. You're _the man_, remember? There's no one around. Clear air. Isn't it wonderful? Or maybe you want to join Nori and Santo instead?"

"No freakin' way."

"Good. I mean, it's good for health to breathe after a thunderstorm."

"Sure thing. What's for now?"

"Another famous song. Ballade of some sort. You'll like it, I promise."

Julian's face radiated boredom, but after the first four notes he smiled lightly. Ballade, as she said. Of course.

"So close, no matter how far," they both closed their eyes, feeling a small fire igniting in their hearts. It feeled better and better from line to line; Anna was slightly lowering her voice sometimes so Julian's - very clean and deep now - could rise above. It was so breathtaking that they haven't noticed they were not alone anymore. Someone was crawling towards the two, getting nearer and nearer...

"...and nothing else matters, yeah, yeah..."

No, not this rock, too slippery...

"YEAH-YEAAAAH!"

_CRRRRACKOOOM!_

"What, you again? How precious."

"I..."

"Yeah, you were spying upon us. By accident," Julian sounded pretty venomous.

"Jules, I'm begging you, don't even start. You know she was not spying. Don't be so harsh. Besides, Laura won't tell anyone about our little secret. Am I right, Laura?"

"Yes," X answered guiltily.

"By the way! Do you know any songs?" Vance came out with another bright (as she thought) idea.

"What?" Laura's eyes widened.

"Like, maybe, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Three Days Grace, Epica... anything? Come on, you've got to know! Just one song, Laura?" Ann said in pleading tone; her eyes were almost glowing, though.

"I..." quick glance at Julian, who was staring at her ruthlessly, then at Anna, who was still gazing impatiently at the girl. "I know one," she said in small voice. "I don't know the title or the performer. It starts with "You don't remember my name, I don't really care'..."

"Oh GAAAWD, you've just made my day!" shouted Annie. "I know the tabs, woo-hoo! Let me... uh-huh..."

She plucked several strings, then commanded: "Do it, sugah!". And Laura started, her eyes closed.

When it was all over, Julian inhaled loudly, realizing he was not breathing for about half of minute or so. Her voice... it was perfect. He had never thought she could radiate such power only by playing with the loudness, pitch, softness, maybe something else, it didn't matter. All that matters now is the fact he's got goose-skin because of her. He haven't had such a feeling for a long time.

"Oh Laura, it was... it was..." Ann couldn't pick the right words.

"...great," Julian finished the sentence.

"Thank you," X avoided looking him in the eye. Nice of her. "I need to go."

"Hey!" Keller called to her when she was already heading to the dorms. She turned her head, looking a little worried. "Tomorrow evening maybe?"

"...I'll come," she replied and scarcely gave him a smile.

…

Several days have passed. Every evening the trio gathered together and had their little band sessions outside or in Ann's and Laura's room. Julian seemed like gradually recovering from his unstable mental state. Such results were caused mainly by that funny music therapy and hanging with two girls who didn't seem to care about his physical shortcoming. Anyways, today it was raining - again! - all day long, so they had to move to girls' room. Ann was exhausted owing to her training sessions and classes - she studied tons of disciplines and still had to train how to control her power (she was really good at it but sometimes her abilities went crazy and caused lots of problems) - so she was already asleep when Julian and Laura were singing softly something about the rain falling from the stars. No, not Rhapsody, just Green Day.

"That's weird. I am sleepy now and don't want to go to bed at the same time," whispered Julian. "So... maybe some coffee?"

"...yes," it seemed like the girl didn't really know whether she wants coffee or not. However, they moved to the kitchen, leaving Anna covered with variegated blanket and watching cute dreams about green grass and flying ponnies.

"So what do you want?" he asked, holding cezve in his hands. "Cappuccino, mocha, Irish, Turkish coffee?"

"I don't know," she spoke apologetically.

"Wha- wait, haven't you taste any of them?" Keller arched his eyebrow.

"Only cappuccino."

"Oh. Well, then maybe some Turkish? It's, like...with dregs. And spices. And is boiled in that thing, cezve."

"Okay," she smiled slightly.

"So, coffee... It's a very special drink. Not just like others. It has its own temperament."

Julian took a coffee grinder, filled it with coffee beans, milled them, then placed obtained powder into the cezve and added some cinnamon and cardamom. Then water.

Then put it on the stove.

"See foam?" asked Julian a bit later. "It's time to take it off... aaand... give it a stir. And onto the stove again."

He reiterated that operation for three times, then took a tea towel, which was now enveloped in green flames, and started to knock with it at the bottom of cezve.

"Dregs is almost all on the bottom now," he explained himself.

"So how's it? "the boy asked a couple of minutes later.

"Good," she answered. He totally won her approval. "Hot, has slight bitter and sweet taste, very fragrant. I like it."

"I knew you'd like it. Uh, I mean, I hoped," Julian suddenly flushed. "Well, I... I'll go to sleep now, I think."

"You won't sleep."

"What? - he looked a little frightened."

"You've just consumed a certain amount of caffeine and you won't be able to go to sleep for some time."

"Oh, uh," he flushed again. "At least I can try to, can't I?"

"Yes, you can," she frowned with lack of understanding.

"So, it's like... good night?"

"Good night, Julian," she said in a softer voice.

He headed to his room. _Good night, __**Julian**__!_ He didn't know why he'd felt so good and relaxed. He could still feel coffee taste in his mouth when he fell into sleep.

…

It was a windy day. Even stormy in the evening - their little campfire raved like it's been possessed by evil demons of ancient myths. A boy was standing, his hair blowing about, face expression serious, little imps dancing in his eyes; a girl was sitting on a log, holding guitar in her hands, same eyes and mischievous smile; another girl was sitting, too, encompassed her legs with outstretched arms, with a bit unconfident look.

The guitar girl started to pluck strings, making strange noises like trying to tune an old radio receiver. Julian closed his eyes, Anna laughed quietly.

_"Hey you, hey you, Devil's little sister_

_Listening to your Twisted Transistor..."_

Wind continued its howling, Julian kept singing in constrained and a little nasal voice, Anna went on her strange playing, sometimes growling, sometimes drawling, while Laura was beating the log with her hands and feet, setting a perfect rhythm.

_"A lonely life where no one understands you..."_ Keller and Vance sang in hoarse voices; it sent a shiver down Laura's back. And then ear-corrupting _Music do_ has blown up the air. Then they cried about a world that will consume one if let it to; this song was quite aggressive and loud, but it seemed like Hellion was just letting off the steam, discharging, getting rid of everything that had been bothering him all this time; hell, he _laughed out loud_ for the first time in

this month. 'God, it works, it _works_!' Ann thought, laughing too.

"Guys, it was wonderful! Awesome! Incredible!" she cried, breathing hard.

"Yeah, sure," Keller was smiling. "We're freakin' great! Sorry girls, I need some fresh air. I feel like I'm gonna blow up all the stuff around right now."

"That's called energy, Kellie. Spelled: E-N-E-R-G-Y! And it's very, very exciting. That's the thing I like about concerts. So go as far away from us as you can and blow up everything you want. I allow you."

Julian grinned and walked to the shore. Wind was still howling like crazy, and waves were really giantic; two minutes have passed, and Keller was all covered with salty water drops. He was running the lyrics through his head when someone hesitantly touched his shoulder.

"Oh, hey."

"It is moist here," said Laura.

"Uh-huh," and he wrapped his jacket around her shoulders with his telekinesis. She stiffened like she wasn't expecting something like that from this guy, but mouthed

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," he closed his eyes, smiling, and moved closer; it was much colder without his jacket on him.

"So you're not just a Kick-Ass, but a singer and drummer too?" he spoke with irony in his voice.

"I learn fast," she answered confidently.

"I can tell. I wondered... how you happened there, I mean, for the second time? Making that loud splendid entrance?"

"I wanted to check if your condition was good. And I wanted to hear you singing," she added faintly.

"Oh. Wow," Julian flushed.

"And... how was that?"

"You did good."

"...Thanks. I liked you, too... Uuh, I mean, your voice. You sing quite nice. You should do it more often. It's... exciting."

"Thank you, Julian," Laura smiled slightly. He swallowed. That feeling again, it must be evoked by the way she speaks his name. There was the only way to know.

"Say it again," he told, looking her in the eye. She arched her eyebrow, but obeyed. He was right; the same feeling, warm and relaxed on the surface, hot and tensed deep inside. He smiled, his eyelids shut, skin tingling where sea drops landed. When he opened his eyes, he saw the girl smiling slightly, too. Oh, yeah, she knew already what was going on. She could tell it by his increasing heart rate, amount of ventilations, and, of course, his scent...

"Laura?"

"Yes, Julian?.."

"Nothing," he leaned over and pressed his lips against hers. She heard his heart beating like a jungle drum, then calming down as he was holding her in the arms,

his scent changed swiftly as he was feeling thousands of emotions simultaneously; she also could hear a constrained "Yess" from Anna, who was heading to the dorms to tell Megan and Cessily that "They're finally! Kissing! On the shore! Hooray!" But all of that didn't matter.

Because he tasted like coffee. And she knew that she liked coffee very, very much.

…

SONGS CREDITS:

Numb (c) Linkin Park

Smells Like Teen Spirit (c) Nirvana

If Today Was Your Last Day (c) Nickelback

Nothing Else Matters (c) Metallica

Lose Control (c) Evanescence

Rain of a Thousand Flames (c) Rhapsody

Wake Me Up When September Ends (c) Green Day

Twisted Transistor (c) KoЯn


End file.
